The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) conducted a nationwide test of the Cell Broadcast Alert System on May 2, 2026. This is part of the Government of India’s initiative to build its own alert system to safeguard its citizens during national calamities. The system, which is called Cell Broadcast Alert, is currently under pan-India testing, so if you happen to have received a flash SMS message from the NDMA – short for National Disaster Management Authority and get a loud, blaring ring tone, don’t panic and press the OK button below the message on your mobile phone and note that no action is required.
So what is this Cell Broadcast Alert System?
According to a release issued by the Government of India, the Department of Telecommunications, in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), is enhancing mobile-based disaster communication systems across the country to ensure the timely dissemination of critical information to its citizens.
NDMA has successfully operationalised the Integrated Alert System (SACHET), developed by the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT).The system is based on the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP), as recommended by the International Telecommunication Union. It is currently operational across all 36 States and Union Territories of India and delivers disaster and emergency-related alerts via SMS to mobile users within geo-targeted areas.
The system has been extensively utilised by disaster management authorities, enabling the dissemination of over 134 billion SMS alerts to date in more than 19 Indian languages during natural disasters, weather warnings, and cyclonic events.
To further strengthen alert dissemination in time-critical situations, such as tsunamis, earthquakes, lightning strikes, and man-made emergencies like gas leaks or chemical hazards, Cell Broadcast (CB) technology has been introduced alongside SMS. In a Cell Broadcast System, alerts are transmitted to all mobile devices within a defined geographic area simultaneously, ensuring near real-time delivery of the alerts.
C-DOT has been entrusted with the indigenous development and implementation of this Cell Broadcast-based public emergency alert system. As part of the pan-India rollout and the launch of the Cell Broadcast (CB) facility, nationwide testing and trials are currently being conducted to assess the system’s performance and reliability before its formal inauguration and dedication to the nation.
During this period, members of the public may receive test messages in English, Hindi, and regional languages on their mobile devices. These “test messages” will only be received on mobile devices with Cell Broadcast test channels enabled (Users can enable or disable alerts through the following menu path on their mobile devices: Settings → Safety and emergency →Wireless emergency alerts →Test alerts).
The content of the test message will be as follows: This is a TEST Cell Broadcast message sent by the National Disaster Management Authority in coordination with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India, as part of testing the Cell Broadcast solution for disseminating alerts. During the testing of the Cell Broadcast solution, you may receive this message multiple times on your mobile handset. Please ignore these message(s); no action is required at your end.
Citizens may receive multiple messages as part of the testing process to ensure proper functioning across the entire mobile network infrastructure. Once successfully tested and operationalised, the CB system will be used to disseminate alerts in multiple Indian languages across all mobile handsets, regardless of test channel settings, while ensuring a wide and inclusive public reach during actual emergencies.
